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Sunday, September 30, 2012

Finish some things up or start something new???
Half the brain says finish and half says start... but there are too many great ideas to start that I don't know if I can choose.
Maybe if I type out the list it will help?

ok - that didn't help. Now I feel overwhelmed!
Heading up to piece some backings - the boys are taking over the living room floor (my sandwich space) playing Wii, but if I am ready when they are done, I may get these tackled yet.

Saturday, September 22, 2012

...is not highly recommended.
Though it is a lot better than cutting while sick...

Yesterday my sniffly snarfly head cold got the better of me, so I stayed home from work. I still wanted to participate in "Friday Night Sew In" but I was afraid I would not last until "night" so I opted to do some sewing during the day.

Surprisingly I was pretty productive - alhough I worked on lots of things that I can't show photos of because they are gifties or can't be revealed just yet. Some wool felt work, piecing a top and adding borders to it (cutting and matching a tricky print was not a good idea -but I muddled thorough), and working on chain piecing another quilt I had cut out and kitted up. I also did a wee bit of knitting on a "year long easy project" - and finished up the binding on a graduation quilt (for someone who graduated in 2011!!!) A nap worked its way in there, too... and 4 loads of laundry!!!

I did manage to get a pot of sauce on the stove - figured as long as I was home and could keep an eye on it, I could let it cook down and get happy all day while I rested or puttered on other things.

I had prepped all the tomatoes over the past few weeks and frozen the puree, so really it was just prepping the carrot and onion, adding in diced frozen peppers (again, frozen from the farmer's market) and dropping in the "cubes" of frozen puree. Oh - and three cloves of fresh garlic!

Friday morning.

Friday evening.

Saturday afternoon.

Our yield was about 9 cups into containers for the freezer. Add that to the 7 I did a few weeks ago - and we have a happy freezer!

Not bad for a sinffly snarfly day. Unfortunately though mine have improved, Munchkin now has them. Hubby has a pot of greens and beans soup on the stove for us, and some "super duper noodly chicken soup" for the Munchkin for dinner tonight.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

So Kristie at CowgirlQuilter had a great idea to share some of our past works - especially ones that may have gotten buried, or folded into a closet, (or gasp still in flimsy stage???)

And since I don't have anything recent that I CAN share, here's an oldie but goodie...

This is from 2008 - made for my mother-in-law as a surprise Christmas gift -with one gingerboy (or girl) for each member of the family. I raided her stash right under her nose for some of the fabrics, and some are hubby's old shirts.

There is a corresponding UFO to this - one for ME - but I haven't gotten past that pieced border to finish it up. Those are 1.5"squares!!!!

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Last week it was broken rotary cutters -this week it is a missing purse pattern. The ideas are buzzing around my brain - but I've not been able to fully realize them due to all these little "speedbumps".
Hubby replaced my rotary cutters - and I 'think' I know another place to look to find my pattern so now that the weekend gardening and home improvement projects are winding down for the day, hopefully I can get back up to full speed in the studio.

Until then I will leave you with photos from the quilt show Shellie and I went to this weekend. Shellie had 2 entries -and our friend Glynis had a few as well. A few more were just inspiring. It was a tiny show -only about 100 quilts -but it's right down the road from home and in the same location as our farmer's market, so it was a nice afternoon out (followed by car shopping - more on that to follow later this week)

We had a bit of a strange growing season (not over yet... but soon). It started early with an early thaw and spring, then we got bit by a hard frost around our normal time. This nipped a lot of the fruit trees - though my berries seemed to fare OK as they had not blossomed yet.

We then had some chilly rainy weather - and so my garden went in LATER than usual. Some bunny traffic got us off to a bumpy start, but we were going along well.

Then it got HOT.
And then it got DRY.

And then things settled out and the plants that survived all of that have been sharing their bounty. Here's a little photo tour. Some things just were not being photogenic - like the rhubarb, chives, basil, roma tomatoes, gourds and poblano peppers... but they've all been growing very well.

Hops

"Baby 'Killer'" the rosebush

Sunflower planted by the birds - and consumed by the birds

Sunflower

Watermelon

Yummy tomatoes

The potato that hid during harvest - we got enough for one nice meal!

Broccoli

The arbor pathway into the side garden.

And I can't forget my 'best' crop of all - shown here on the 1st day of 2nd grade:

Sunday, September 09, 2012

BOTH of my primary rotary cutters are not staying open - any pressure pops the blade back in. My other small cutter needs new blades, and I can't find my cutter handle that is currently holding a pinking blade...

4Patches4Hope

About Me

Always "buzzing" from one project or craft to another, I am a rubber stamper, quilter, beader, silk-screener, stenciler, and general craft "dabbler", and have been crafting in one form or another since my first childhood sewing lesson.
Continuing to craft while juggling married life, motherhood, and full time employment - along with ongoing house renovations - gives me lots to write about!